


A Not-So-Lovely Serenade

by EmmaKeladry



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Culmets - Freeform, Fluff, M/M, Paul tries to be romantic, Romance, Serenading, Smut, space boos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-11 00:37:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15303600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaKeladry/pseuds/EmmaKeladry
Summary: After a little pillow talk post sexy time, Paul decides that he needs to serenade his love. It just doesn’t exactly goes as planned.Inspired by an interview on "After Trek" with Anthony and Wilson. Yes, that one. :)





	A Not-So-Lovely Serenade

**Author's Note:**

> Language and sexy times ahead...

“Oh fuck, you – Paul,” Hugh rolled off of Paul and rested his hand against his sweaty chest as he caught his breath. The post-sex flush remained on his cheeks. “That was… fuck.”

“You swear more when you’re relaxed,” Paul teased. He rolled onto his side, so he could rest his head against Hugh’s chest. He loved how Hugh’s chest hair tickled his nose. He rubbed his nose against the damp hairs, getting Hugh to moan little.

“You do too, honey.” Hugh ran his fingers through Paul’s hair, almost getting him to purr at the sensation. He loves how much Paul liked it when someone touched his hair. It was soothing and arousing for him.

Paul flopped onto his back and focused on catching his breath. Hugh popped up on his elbow as he admired his love and the way his skin glistened. His cheeks were pink and it brought out of the color of his lips in the dim light. He wanted to pull Paul’s lips into his mouth and suck them, to let Paul’s tongue thrust against his. Damn. He loved how Paul did things to his body that no one else did.

“We haven’t had this much alone time in a while,” Hugh drew circles on Paul’s chest with his finger, enjoying the little noises Paul made as he did it.

“Lorca’s been riding my ass –”

“Not like I do,” Hugh interrupted. “And we don’t bring that name into the bedroom, you know that.”

“Sorry.” Paul wrinkled his nose. He shivered as the cool air in the room dried the sweat on his skin. He curled up on his side, cuddling next to Hugh.

Hugh pulled up the sheet to cover him and rubbed his shoulder. Paul’s eyes fluttered closed and he let out a sigh of contentment. He loved how much Paul relaxed with him. Early in their relationship he struggled to be himself and comfortable, but time had made him relax and easy to love. Hugh gently kissed Paul’s shoulder. He dragged his teeth across his smooth skin, barely restraining himself from biting down and getting Paul all worked up again. Paul didn’t respond. Hugh leaned over and kissed him softly, not letting himself get carried away, but enough to wake Paul as he started to fall asleep.

“We should shower before you fall asleep.”

Paul wrinkled his nose in an adorable way. “Five more minutes.”

“I’d love to stay like this, but if we do, we might literally stick together.” Hugh ran his finger across Paul’s cheek, getting him to smile.

“Okay, you’re right.” Paul tossed back the sheet and stood up. He wavered a little.

Hugh moved quickly behind him and steadied him. He stood up and held onto Paul’s shoulder to make sure he remained upright. “Are you okay?”

“Just a little dizzy. Too much blood in other places and not my head.” He closed his eyes as he spoke.

“Did you eat anything today? Other than the omelet you had for breakfast with me?”

Paul shook his head once. “Busy.”

“Okay, we’re gonna change that. Sex on an empty stomach wasn’t your best idea, but it’s alright. Let’s shower and then maybe I’ll feed you.”

“I could always eat more of you.” Paul opened his eyes and raised one eyebrow.

Hugh patted his shoulder before releasing him. “Nice try. I was thinking food this time.”

Hugh stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower, programming it for the correct temperature for both of them. Paul tended to like his showers warmer, but Hugh didn’t want him to overheat. He let the water run down his body. Paul came in a minute later. His eyes were heavy and he looked exhausted. Hugh grabbed his love’s body wash and squeezed it into his hand. This was going to be much easier. Normally their showers could become a sexual moment, but this was just intimacy. He helped Paul wash and shampooed his hair, causing Paul to grin like a little kid. Paul returned the favor. Once they were both clean, Hugh stepped out first. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around Paul’s shoulders before grabbing himself one.

“I’ll be right back.” Hugh kissed Paul’s cheek as he stared at his reflection in the mirror.

He freshened up the bedding and returned to the bathroom to see Paul brushing his hair. Hugh used that time to also quickly order some food for Paul from the replicator. Once they were both dressed in their pajamas, they crawled into bed. Hugh pulled out the bowl of ice cream from his nightstand.

“Ice cream? How’s that a healthy meal?”

Hugh smiled. “It isn’t. It’s a special treat. Don’t tell your doctor and I won’t tell him either.”

“Well, that depends on what kind of ice cream you got.”

“It is strawberry vanilla with the little sprinkles you like on top.” Hugh scooped a small amount and offered it to Paul. He quickly pulled it back and popped the spoon in his mouth.

“Hey, you’re eating my ice cream.” Paul stuck out his lower lip.

“You look adorable when you pout.” Hugh scooped up another spoonful, this time letting Paul lick it from the spoon.

He moaned softly at the taste. Hugh admired his love as they quietly shared the ice cream together. When they finished and brushed their teeth, they both settled into the bed. Paul immediately made himself flush with Hugh’s side, snuggling up against his chest. At least he wasn’t asleep yet.

“We need more time like this,” Hugh commented, breathing in the scent of Paul’s shampoo.

“Agreed. Too bad we’re in a war and there’s not really an option for shore leave right now.” Paul glanced up at him. “If we were, I’d find us a nice warm planet and we’d not leave the bedroom for a week.”

“Sounds perfect. I miss those spontaneous romantic moments and our long days just being with each other.” Hugh sighed. “Do you remember the first time we saw each other after we’d been apart for three months and you had to take two transports to get to the conference I was at?”

“Was that the one where I got sick on the transport from the flu?”

“Yep.” Hugh laughed. “I spent the first day nursing you back to health and keeping your fever down. But then we had two wonderful days together. You took me to an opera and I never thought you’d serenade me like that afterwards.”

“I can be a screamer,” Paul mused.

He swatted Paul’s arm playfully. “Not like that. You made dinner and you let me listen to my favorite music while we danced.”

“Music can put you in the mood.”

Hugh gave him a soft squeeze. “That’s very true. I don’t miss being apart for long periods of time and having to rely on video calling, but I miss how romantic our dates were.”

Paul lifted his head. “We still love each other.” There was a small hint of insecurity in his voice that Hugh hated to hear.

“Of course we do. Once the war is over, we’re going to go on a nice romantic getaway together.” Hugh kissed him. “Love you.”

“I love you too.” Paul sighed and relaxed against Hugh’s chest.

Hugh turned off the light and snuggled with his love as they both quickly drifted to sleep.

 

**DISCOVERY * DISCOVERY**

 

Hugh removed his white jacket and dropped it to the floor. Normally, he hated when Paul left clothes everywhere, but right now he didn’t care. His day had been long and frustrating. He’d had lunch plans with Paul, but he cancelled last minute saying he had to work through lunch but he promised to eat. At least that was something. He checked his PADD to see he had a message from Paul.

_Working late. Lorca’s giving me a headache. Be home ASAP. I have a surprise for you._

He wanted to be frustrated, but he knew Paul was married to his work when he started dating him. It didn’t always bother him, but after a long day he wanted to vent to his love and to snuggle. Gosh, he sounded a bit pathetic to himself. Hugh couldn’t sit around and mope. He slipped his boots back on and decided it was alright to walk to the Mess Hall in his Disco shirt and white uniform pants. No one would care since he was off duty.

The Mess Hall wasn’t very busy, which was surprising. Hugh ordered his favorite pasta dish, sweet tea, and looked for a seat. He smiled at the sight of Paul’s red-haired cadet sitting alone with a PADD. He walked over to her.

“May I sit with you?” Hugh asked.

Tilly’s head popped up, causing her loose curls to bounce. “Oh, Doctor Culber,” she said, starting to stand up.

“You don’t have to get up.”

Tilly grinned. “Oh, sure. Yeah, you can sit with me. How – how’re you?”

Hugh sat down across from her and unfolded his napkin onto his lap. “I’m good. Tired. How’re you?”

“Fine. Just busy all the time!” she laughed. “Sorry, is that too much? Your – err – Lieutenant Stamets is the one making sure I’m busy and that was probably rude.”

“No. It wasn’t. Paul is in love with his work.” Hugh sighed. His comment had definitely been depressing. “So, how are the drive improvements?”

“Slow.” She put a piece of broccoli on her fork, holding it in the fair and forgetting about it. “We thought we made some progress today, but it was two steps backwards. Lieutenant Stamets wasn’t very happy.”

They ate in comfortable silence. Tilly would occasionally pipe up with something about her work, members of the crew, and her general love of space travel. It was sweet. Hugh enjoyed the company. It was much better than moping around their quarters while he waited for Paul and this surprise of his. They talked for almost an hour until Hugh heard his PADD make a noise. He pulled it out to see he had another message from Paul.

_Be headed home soon. See you there?_

Hugh smiled and responded that he’d see him soon. “I better call it a night. I have an early shift tomorrow. Thank you for your company, Tilly.”

“You’re welcome. Good night.” She nodded once before picking up her PADD and immediately getting absorbed her work. She was the red-headed female version of Paul, but with a little more spunk.

Hugh walked back to their quarters. As soon as the door opened, he started to undress, dropping his boots at the door and mentally made a note to pick them up later. His feet ached. Hugh flopped down on the bed and instructed the computer to play his favorite aria. It soothed him. He started to hum along, but was distracted by the door opening. Paul rolled his eyes as he unzipped his jacket and flopped down on the bed beside Hugh.

“Hey honey, how was your day?” Hugh asked, rolling to his side.

“Long. Too long.”

Hugh opened his mouth to say something else, but Paul kissed him. Hard. He was a little surprised to find that Paul’s normally chapped lips were soft as he brought one into his mouth. Paul grunted as he scooted closer and started pulling at Hugh’s shirt. Hugh didn’t object and removed the offending piece of clothing in one smooth moment. He grabbed Paul’s shirt hem and slid his hands up Paul’s stomach, getting him to give a low moan. Paul continued to kiss him as he tore off his jacket.

“I have something to confess,” Paul said between kisses.

“What?” Hugh asked, not really caring about anything but his love at the moment. He ran his hands to Paul’s sides, gently squeezing his little love handles. God, he loved how soft Paul was. It was his favorite part of him. He unbuttoned Paul’s pants.

“I didn’t have to work at lunch time.” Paul paused. “I was working on a surprise for you.”

“Really?” Hugh grinned. “Is this the surprise?”

“Nope.” His mouth popped on the “p”, making Hugh hungry to have Paul’s mouth back on his. “I’ll be right back.”

Paul stood up and slipped into the bathroom. Hugh flopped back against the mattress and let out a sigh. He removed his pants, adding them to the growing pile of clothing on the floor. Then he waited. Several minutes passed and Paul didn’t emerge from the bathroom. His wrinkled his brow, feeling a bit worried. A moment later the door slid open.

“Are you ready?” Paul asked, not coming into the room yet.

“Sure, I’m ready.”

Paul put one leg out into the room. A red fabric was visible on his thigh. Hugh made a face, but tried to stay positive. Paul stepped into the room with a small leap. His hands were tucked behind his back. The red material was a skirt, ruffled and decorated with gold embroidery. It fanned out around the middle of his thighs and had a slit on one side. Paul didn’t have a shirt on, but it was clear he’d put Hugh’s body oil on his chest to make it shine, but it looked a little streaky as if he were in a rush. Hugh pushed himself up higher in the bed. He covered his mouth with one hand.

“Oh my god,” he murmured.

Paul instructed the computer to begin the music. Their quarters filled with sounds of a Spanish guitar, starting softly at first and then growing. Paul popped his hip to one side, lifting his opposite hand. Hugh could finally see what was in his hands. _Castanets._ What? Hugh shook his head as Paul put both hands above his head and started to play. He slowly moved in a circle, rolling his hips and making the skirt flare out. Paul picked up a rose from god knows where and put it in between his teeth. He continued to play, tapping his feet on the deck plating as he spun faster and faster.

Hugh shook his head. Nope, castanets were not sexy serenading. He put his legs under the sheet and turned off the light. Not gonna happen.

“Hey!” Paul said before ordering the computer to stop. “You didn’t like it?”

Hugh turned the lights back on and crossed his arms over his chest. “Castanets?”

Paul shrugged and removed the hand straps. “I thought it would be… sexy,” he mumbled.

“Sexy? Castanets?” Hugh laughed. He slipped out of bed and walked over to Paul, taking his hands. “You didn’t think that maybe a saxophone would be sexier?”

Paul’s cheeks turned red. “Yeah, but it was easier to learn to play castanets.”

Hugh put his hands on Paul’s hips, pulling him close so they were touching. “You know that this outfit is typically for the female flamenco dancers?” He hooked his thumbs in the top of the material and slid them around the top, brushing the rest of his hands against Paul’s hips and stomach. “I do like it. Maybe next time I wear this and I help you with the oil.” He leaned in close to Paul’s ear. “This skirt is sexy,” he whispered. “But not the castanets.” Hugh kissed him hard before Paul could answer.

He pulled Paul as close as he could, grinding his hips against Paul’s. He could feel his partner’s excitement. Paul lifted one leg and hooked it around Hugh’s waist. Hugh groaned and dragged him back to the bed. He started to kiss him again, but the whole situation hit him all at once. He rolled onto his back as he started to laugh. He laughed until tears streamed down his cheeks. Paul laughed with him until his stomach hurt.

“Next time, a sexy dance would be romantic. Just leave the serenading to the professionals. I love you the way you are,” Hugh said, leaning on his side so he could look Paul in the eyes. “Deal?”

“Deal.” Paul smirked as he looked Hugh up and down. “Next time, you wear the skirt though. I don’t think I have the body for it.”

Hugh flipped Paul onto his back, holding his hands down as he groaned. He kissed him, feeling Paul’s stomach muscles tighten beneath him. “You definitely have the body for it. I love every part of you, mì corazόn.” He kissed him, letting himself melt into Paul.

Tomorrow, he could get rid of the castanets. Not tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, it really isn't that romantic, despite what the interview with Anthony says. If you haven't seen it, look it up!
> 
> I hope that this wasn't too out of character for them! It was also my first attempt at writing smut, so forgive me if it's awkward at all. I thought it was pretty hot. :)
> 
> Comments give me life! :) Thanks!


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